When experiencing or witnessing emergencies such as severe health problems, crimes, and natural disasters, individuals may often contact emergency response agencies to request assistance. For example, in the event of a robbery or assault, an individual may dial 911 to request aid from local police officers. In another example, a wearable medical device may contact a dispatch service to request an ambulance or other medical assistance in response to detecting a dangerous change in a user's health.
Unfortunately, these traditional methods for requesting assistance in emergency situations may be slow and/or ineffective. For example, the health level of an individual experiencing an acute medical crisis may severely deteriorate while the individual waits for an ambulance to arrive. In addition, some individuals may be hesitant to request assistance from an emergency response agency. For example, an individual may underestimate the severity of an emergency and decline to report the emergency, even if the situation warrants immediate assistance. On the other hand, individuals that falsely or incorrectly report emergencies may consume the limited time and resources available to emergency response agencies. The instant disclosure, therefore, identifies and addresses a need for systems and methods for providing assistance to users in emergency situations.